Question for the E-2 guys

[fudog50]

Thats the first thing that hit me,,,a crane off!!

(by the way who said crane on?, I never seen one in 26 years, but you never know?)

My first at-sea period as MMCO, I almost had to crane off a Prowler. It happens, but you get crap from the other MMCO's in the CAG for sure!

 

[bunk22]

I remember "Sperm'n" Sherman on the Stennis. He was afraid the CODs would break. So craned them on.

Very insulting to VRC-30.

Probably the idea. I cruised with CVW-2 with DCAG then CAG Trotter for my first deployment. He was bad enough but from what I've heard, better than Sherman. Of course Trotter was fired between deployments and early retired. Sometimes you get caught abusing that power.

 

[fudog50]

That just doesn't make sense though I'm not doubting it, I've seen such ludicrous decisions made in the past. Really though, I don' belive that was the reason, but who am I?

So what you are trying to say is that CAG didn't trust them to fly aboard and had to be "craned on"?? That is the most ridiculous thing i ever heard! So it would follow that the next day when CQ started, the CODs were allowed to fly off but not trap back?

It just don't make sense.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Nothing in this world is so ridiculous that some O-6+ hasn't insisted on it at some point. There was a Hook article a while back about a CVA coming into a close-fit port in the Far East somewhere back in the day. The Skipper got the bright idea of chaining all the Spads up along the bow cats (as I said, back in the day), tails outboard, and running the engines up and down as a sort of "bow thruster". Nevermind everybody down the chain telling him it was a really, really bad idea, it'd trash the planes without any benefit to the ship, etc, dude had a Bright Idea and wouldn't let it go. Natch, a bunch of engines were over-temp'ed and amazingly enough, didn't budge the Boat at all.

 

[Nose]

Nothing in this world is so ridiculous that some O-6+ hasn't insisted on it at some point. There was a Hook article a while back about a CVA coming into a close-fit port in the Far East somewhere back in the day. The Skipper got the bright idea of chaining all the Spads up along the bow cats (as I said, back in the day), tails outboard, and running the engines up and down as a sort of "bow thruster". Nevermind everybody down the chain telling him it was a really, really bad idea, it'd trash the planes without any benefit to the ship, etc, dude had a Bright Idea and wouldn't let it go. Natch, a bunch of engines were over-temp'ed and amazingly enough, didn't budge the Boat at all.

That was from Bridges at Toko Ri - it might have happened in real life too, a lot of that book did.

 

[Uncle Fester]

That was from Bridges at Toko Ri - it might have happened in real life too, a lot of that book did.

Yup, now that you mention it, the article did say it was the inspiration for the incident in the novel.

 

[bunk22]

That just doesn't make sense though I'm not doubting it, I've seen such ludicrous decisions made in the past. Really though, I don' belive that was the reason, but who am I?

So what you are trying to say is that CAG didn't trust them to fly aboard and had to be "craned on"?? That is the most ridiculous thing i ever heard! So it would follow that the next day when CQ started, the CODs were allowed to fly off but not trap back?

It just don't make sense.

It seems much of what that particular CAG did, didn't make sense. You get someone with an issue against the OIC or against props or whatever, they often do things that don't make sense. Call it poor leadership, whatever. It was done to say don't fuck with me. You break, you can't meet the important missions, you'll get craned onboard.

 

[2sr2worry]

Crane off due to cracked outer wing panel hinge fitting. Not enough time to get new OWP to ship, so plan B is crane off onto barge for trip to Kisarazu and OWP change, followed by flight to Atsugi. Standard practice for the Yoko-based carrier since Midway days if you couldn't fix something prior to pulling in.

As to crane on/off. In the good old days we used to crane the whole air wing onboard prior to leaving port. It guaranteed 100% attendance with no stragglers and allowed a west coast carrier to head west at best speed. For the A-7 and S-3 guys it was a lesson in "don't forget the skid plates." For the whole air wing it was a lesson in not painting over the hoist points.

History lesson for the day.

 

[fudog50]

Certainly not recent history like within thst last 20 years.

You know, I've noticed that grandeur sometimes takes the place of reality, and some peoples recollections of the same circumstances are different.

I suppose it makes the world an interesting place, but that is utterly absurd, please back that up with facts?

Crane the whole AirWing aboard? UP goes the BS Flag!!! 60 + jets??? gimme a break

I mean that may have happened in ancient history, certainly not within the last 26 years I have been in! Some of us were born at night, but not last night?

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

Certainly not recent history like within thst last 20 years.

You know, I've noticed that grandeur sometimes takes the place of reality, and some peoples recollections of the same circumstances are different.

I suppose it makes the world an interesting place, but that is utterly absurd, please back that up with facts?

Crane the whole AirWing aboard? UP goes the BS Flag!!! 60 + jets??? gimme a break

I mean that may have happened in ancient history, certainly not within the last 26 years I have been in! Some of us were born at night, but not last night?

Likewise. First time I've ever heard anything like that.

 

[HeyJoe]

As to crane on/off. In the good old days we used to crane the whole air wing onboard prior to leaving port. It guaranteed 100% attendance with no stragglers and allowed a west coast carrier to head west at best speed.

History lesson for the day.

I mean that may have happened in ancient history, certainly not within the last 26 years I have been in! Some of us were born at night, but not last night?

We did in mid eighties at Norfolk during workups when everyone was qualled and ship had to sortie quickly. Someone figured it was more expeditious to fly everyone into Norfolk and do the Cranex overnight and leave with the morning tide than spend the day bringing everyone aboard. Only happened that once, but I remember hearing it was fairly routine at North Island at the time for reasons expressed by 2Sr. So not too ancient an event.

 

[2sr2worry]

Certainly not recent history like within thst last 20 years.

You know, I've noticed that grandeur sometimes takes the place of reality, and some peoples recollections of the same circumstances are different.

I suppose it makes the world an interesting place, but that is utterly absurd, please back that up with facts?

Crane the whole AirWing aboard? UP goes the BS Flag!!! 60 + jets??? gimme a break

I mean that may have happened in ancient history, certainly not within the last 26 years I have been in! Some of us were born at night, but not last night?

January 1987, CVW-9/USS Kitty Hawk. Entire air wing flew to NASNI, was towed from the T-line ramp area down Tow Road (hmmm...where did it get that name?) to pier Lima and subsequently craned aboard. With two cranes working the evolution actually went pretty smoothly. Not sure about the "reality distortion angle" you espouse--"crane on" is a pretty binary event--plane on pier--lift--plane on ship--repeat, and I stood on the pier for the entire day coordinating the lifts. Plus it's hard to forget a deployment where we spent 106 days on Gonzo Station with one of the most oppressive carrier CO's of all times who ruled with an iron fist. Remember, CAG was just a senior CDR in the "good old days." Oops, will you be raising your flag again?

 

[HH-60H]

We did in mid eighties at Norfolk during workups when everyone was qualled and ship had to sortie quickly. Someone figured it was more expeditious to fly everyone into Norfolk and do the Cranex overnight and leave with the morning tide than spend the day bringing everyone aboard. Only happened that once, but I remember hearing it was fairly routine at North Island at the time for reasons expressed by 2Sr. So not too ancient an event.

You even craned the helos on?

 

[HeyJoe]

You even craned the helos on?

We just had to be onboard the night before and hit the rack once there. In the AM after obligatory AOM and first time up on the roof, everyone was aboard so can't say how helos got there.

 

[2sr2worry]

Just to stick a fork in it and be done, here's a scan of page 4 from the '87 cruise book.